Automotive Exports July 2018

www.automotive-exports.com 

Monthly automotive aftermarket magazine 

July 2018 

SIA Motor Show 

Displays Latest Trends 

Automotive Sector Produces 

Almost A Half Million 

Vehicles In Q1 

Automotive Set Record 

In Year On Year Exports


GROUP CHAIRMAN 

H. FERRUH ISIK 

PUBLISHER: 

İstmag Magazin Gazetecilik 

İç ve Dış Ticaret Ltd. Şti. 

Genel Müdür 

Managing Editor 

Mehmet Söztutan 

mehmet.soztutan@img.com.tr 

Mehmet Soztutan, Editor-in-Chief 

mehmet.soztutan@img.com.tr 

The Turkish automotive 

industry heralds a new era 

The five companies taking part in the production of Turkey's first domestically 

manufactured automobile, announced that the incorporation and registration 

procedures of Turkey's Automobile Initiative Group were completed. 

The manufacturing company was named Turkey's Automobile Initiative Group. 

Five local firms - Anadolu Group, BMC, Kök Group, Turkcell and Zorlu Holding 

with 19 percent of shares each- and the Union of Chambers and Commodity 

Exchanges of Turkey (TOBB) with 5 percent of shares will jointly lead the firm. 

The prototype of the first domestically produced car - expected to be produced 

in Ankara - would be ready in 2019 and enter the market in 2021. 

Automotive industry, with its vehicles and components manufacturing subsectors, 

is one of the major driving forces behind the Turkish export drive. Since 

the automotive industry operates on a global basis, it also has a profound effect 

on the Turkish automotive components industry. 

It should be noted that the auto parts industry of Turkey has developed rapidly 

as a consequence of developments in the automotive industry. The Turkish 

auto parts industry with its large capacity, wide variety of production and high 

standards, supports automotive industry production and the vehicles in Turkey 

and also has ample potential for exports. 

The Turkish automotive and auto spare parts industry have prospered dynamically 

in line with ever increasing demand from abroad. So, business people operating 

in the industry have become outward oriented more than ever before. This fact 

is also reflected through the pages of our publications. 

In evaluating the future export potential of the automotive industry, 

using country-based statistics, it is possible to indicate that Turkish automotive 

industry has comparative advantage regarding labor productivity, labor cost and 

the share of capital in the value added, especially with respect to the mature 

producers in the world. More than half of these manufacturers compete in 

international markets and set high standards of export figures. 

Our publications remain at the service of those businesses people seeking to 

increase their share in the increasingly competitive foreign markets. 

We are convinced that the fairs and exhibitions in which we participate 

have turned out to be instrumental to increase business opportunities in the 

automotive industry. 

We wish lucrative trade for all business people. 

Responsible Editor 

Yusuf Okçu 

yusuf.okcu@img.com.tr 

Editor 

İbrahim Küpeli 

ibrahim.kupeli@img.com.tr 

Advertising Manager 

Nihat Akman 

otomotivnihat@gmail.com 

Foreign Relations Manager 

Yusuf Okcu 

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Correspondent 

İsmail Çakır 

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Graphics & Printing Manager 

Tayfun Aydın 

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Design & Graphics 

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Chief Accountant 

Zekai Turasan 

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Finance Manager 

Mustafa Aktas 

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Subsciption 

İsmail Özçelik 

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Turkey’s Oyak, Renault extend 

partnership for 27 years 

Süleyman Savaş Erdem 

Turkey's Oyak and French automotive 

producer Renault Group signed an 

agreement in France to extend their 

partnership for 27 years. 

The agreement was signed by 

Süleyman Savaş Erdem, the general 

manager of Oyak, and Thierry Bollore, 

the chief operating officer of Renault 

Group on 26th of June. 

With no changes on the shares 

distribution between the shareholders, 

the signed agreement aimed to cover 

industrial and commercial activities 

and common goals of both parties in 

Turkey. 

Noting that the new agreement will 

provide significant added value to 

our country's economy, Erdem said: 

"Automotive is the leading sector with 

a share of 21 percent of total export 

volume, which is about $150 billion." 

"We believe in the future of Turkey 

and we will continue our investments 

without deceleration," Erdem added. 

He also added that Oyak-Renault 

joint venture is in the first place in 

automobile exports with 288,000 

units. 

Bollore, for his part, said the renewal 

of the agreement opens a new page 

in the company's history in Turkey. 

"Turkey is Renault Group's 6th largest 

global market and we rank first in 

passenger car exports in Turkey," he 

added.


Turkish 

auto giant 

to export 

400 buses 

to Romania 

Turkish automotive giant Otokar has signed a 

deal with the Bucharest Municipality to supply 

some 400 buses. 

The contract is the largest ever bus export deal 

ever secured by a Turkish automotive company. 

Otokar, a subsidiary of the Koç Holding, in a 

statement, said that the company exports buses 

for public transport to 50 different countries. 

As part of its deal with the Bucharest Municipality, 

Otokar will export as many as 400 buses in 

separate batches in 2018 and 2019. It will also 

provide after sales services for eight years. 

The deal signing ceremony was recently held at 

the Bucharest City Hall, with city Mayor Gabriele 

Firean and Otokar General Manager Serdar 

Görgüç in attendance. 

Apart from its native Turkey, Otokar buses 

have also been preferred by various European 

countries like France, Italy, Spain, and Germany. 

Otokar General Manager Serdar Görgüç said 

they participated in the tender, held to meet the 

Romanian capital's increasing public transport 

needs, through its Otokar Europe, which was 

established in 2011 to better serve European 

customer. He added that major global 

companies from Europe and Turkey - Europe's 

bus manufacturing base - also participated in the 

tender. 

"As Turkey's leading manufacturer of buses, we 

want to offer our most modern vehicles that are 

worthy of Bucharest. It is a great honor for us to 

be chosen by the Bucharest Municipality for not 

only the vehicles but also the after-sales services," 

he said. "Bucharest will have our largest fleet 

of buses after Istanbul. In many major cities in 

Turkey and Europe, we already have thousands 

of buses carrying passengers every day." He 

added that prior to the deal with Bucharest 

Municipality they received another order from 

Jordan's capital Amman which proves that 

their buses have performed well in the export 

markets. 

14 JULY 2018


Tüpraş, Ford, Toyota top Turkey’s 

industrial enterprise lineup 

Turkish refinery giant Tüpraş 

topped the list of Turkey's Top 500 

Industrial Enterprises 2017 survey 

released by the Istanbul Chamber 

of Industry (ISO). 

According to the survey, Tüpraş's 

production-based sales last year 

totaled 51.1 billion Turkish liras 

($14 billion). 

International car manufacturer 

Ford was the second-biggest 

company with production-based 

sales of TL 22.7 billion ($6.2 

billion), followed by automaker 

Toyota, which rose from sixth to 

third with TL 17.8 billion ($4.9 

billion). 

Three other automobile 

manufacturers, Tofaş, Oyak- 

Renault, Hyundai Assan, made it 

into the top 10. 

Steel producers Isdemir, Erdemir 

and Içdaş Çelik, and appliance 

manufacturer Arçelik were the 

other firms in the top 10. 

While this year Isdemir and 

Erdemir rose to seventh and 

eighth places, respectively, 

Turkey's largest electric power 

producer Elektrik Üretim A.Ş. 

dropped from seventh to 18th 

place in 2017. 

The survey said the total 

production-based sales of industry 

giants posted their highest growth 

in 13 years, up 33.2 percent yearon-year, 

to reach TL 653 billion 

($178.9 billion). 

The growth stemmed from the 

hike in exchange rates, which 

plays an important role in export 

revenues, along with growing 

domestic and foreign demand. 

ISO 500 companies' exports also 

surged 17 percent last year to 

$64.5 billion, making up 42.8 

percent of Turkey's total industrial 

exports. 

Ford was the top exporting 

companies, recording nearly 

$4.80 billion of exports in 2017. 

Toyota followed with $4.59 

billion, Tofaş with $3.27 and 

Oyak-Renault with $3.18 billion. 

Financial expenses, which 

continue to be the main 

determinant of profitability, 

increased by 21.3 percent to TL 

35.2 billion from TL 29 billion and 

accounted for more than half of 

the operating profit of industrial 

enterprises. 

The number of firms in the 2017 

ISO 500 that made profits rose 

to 422 from 392. ISO has rated 

Turkey's top 500 companies since 

1968. 



Turkey’s car company due 

to initiate operations in 

September 

Turkey is geared to manufacture 

a domestic car company and 

brand capable of competing 

on the global scale. The CEO of 

the newly formed Automobile 

Initiative Group, Mehmet Gürcan 

Karakaş told that group was ready 

to commence with a qualified 

team of specialists. Karakaş said 

that he had analyzed the financial 

and technical aspects of the 

indigenous car project. 

"Our mission is to carry out 

a project of transforming 

technology with a qualified team 

of experts. We will give it its final 

shape after we begin work on 

Sept. 1," he said, pointing out 

that they are acting with a vision 

of a car brand that can compete 

with and have a say in the global 

market. 

The partnership agreement 

to launch Turkey's first locally 

produced car brand was 

signed on May 31, according 

to a statement from the partner 

companies. 

Five local firms with 19 percent 

shares each; Anadolu Group, 

BMC, Kök Group, Turkcell, 

and Zorlu Holding, along with 

the Union of Chambers and 

Commodity Exchanges of Turkey 

(TOBB) with five percent shares, 

will jointly lead the firm. 

Karakaş, one of the top global 

executives in technology giant 

Bosch, was officially appointed as 

the CEO of the new firm. 

His appointment was announced 

by President Recep Tayyip 

Erdoğan during an interview . 

"The indigenous car project's 

shareholders' trust, commitment, 

and adaptation impressed me," 

said Karakaş. 

He said as an engineer who 

has committed himself to the 

automotive industry he was 

excited to bring the experience 

he gained abroad to Turkey. 

The initiative came after repeated 

calls from President Erdoğan for a 

joint car project by TOBB and the 

Science, Industry and Technology 

Ministry. 

Last November, President 

Erdoğan announced that the 

prototype of the first domestically 

produced car - expected to be 

produced in Ankara - would be 

ready in 2019 and would enter 

the market by 2021. 

"I want to own the first automobile 

(produced), provided that I 

will pay for it. No one should 

hesitate. We will produce Turkey's 

car with the best design and 

technology, both for our country 

and the world," Erdoğan said in 

November. The President praised 

efforts to ensure that the mass 

production of the first domestically 

produced automobile would be 

either electric or hybrid. 

Turkey attempted to produce 

its first domestically produced 

car the Devrim (Revolution) in 

1961, however the attempt was 

unsuccessful and production 

was halted following the first 

prototypes. 



Tesla to set up shop in 

Istanbul’s upscale Zorlu Mall 

Electric car producer Tesla's CEO, 

Elon Musk, announced in February 

that the company is planning to 

enter the Turkish market this year 

and has posted job ads looking 

for staff to be employed in Turkey. 

Based on the company's job 

advertisements, Tesla's Istanbul 

store is expected to open in the 

city's luxury Zorlu Center mall in 

Istanbul's Levazım neighborhood. 

Tesla carries out configuration 

and order processing for its 

automobiles in its stores. Tesla 

sales are conducted through an 

online platform via pre-order. 

After registering on Tesla's official 

website and paying $1,000 for 

an order number, customers can 

generally receive their cars within 

12 to 18 months. 

Turkish people are now able to 

order from Europe and the prices 

of a brand-new Tesla car start at 

110,00 euros ($128,424). The 

price of second-hand Tesla ranges 

from 77,000 euros to 100,000 

euros. 

Tesla Motors Netherlands B.V., 

Tesla's European headquarters, 

was previously reported to be 

looking for an area to set up 

a maintenance center on the 

Anatolian side of Istanbul. The 

Model 3, starting at $35,000 in 

the U.S., was introduced April 

1, 2016 and sold with a prepaid 

reservation of $1,000. The model 

received more than 400 orders 

in the first month after its release. 

While deliveries have begun in 

the U.S., the vehicle will enter 

Europe late this year. The Model 3 

is expected to go on sale in Turkey 

in 2019 at an estimated price of 

about TL 326,940 ($69,700), or 

70,000 euros. 

An agreement signed with Gersan 

Electricity Trade and Industry for 

fast charging stations is the first 

signal of Tesla entering Turkey. 

While there are currently more 

than 150 Tesla vehicles in Turkey, 

the lack of repair services is a big 

problem, with owners currently 

having to send their vehicles to 

Europe for maintenance, coupled 

with problems around obtaining 

automobile insurance. 

Tesla to launch in Turkey 

later this year, Musk says 

Electric car maker Tesla plans 

to launch in Turkey, its chief 

executive said. 

"Btw, planning to launch Tesla 

in Turkey later this year," Elon 

Musk said in a post on his Twitter 

account. 

"Love your country & will be 

there in person for the launch," 

he added. 

The company produced more 

than 300,000 electric vehicles as 

of February. 

The Model S, its most popular car, 

has sold more than 200,000 units 

so far and was the world's bestselling 

electric vehicle in 2015 

and 2016. 

The firm released two more 

models -- the Model X SUV and 

Model 3 sedan -- in September 

2015 and July 2017, respectively. 

Last year, the company also 

unveiled its electric truck-the Tesla 

Semi. 

Turkey had a total of nearly 12.2 

million registered cars by the end 

of March, according to the most 

recent data from the Turkish 

Statistical Institute (TUIK). 

There were 729,500 new 

passenger car registrations in 

Turkey last year, according 

to the European Automobile 

Manufacturers Association, 

compared with 15.1 million in the 

European Union. 

While Turkey is highly dependent 

on oil imports, electric cars could 

provide some relief for its gasoline 

consumption. 

There are a few hundred Tesla 

owners in Turkey, who order the 

cars from abroad. 

But the low number of charging 

stations and limited services are 

some of the biggest hurdles for 

the electric vehicle market in the 

country, according to experts. 



Turkey’s automotive exports 

to Europe reach new heights 

The Turkish automotive industry, 

which picked up some recent 

losses in the domestic market, has 

seen a rise in exports – exceeding 

$16 billion in the first half of the 

year – with more than 80 percent 

going to European countries. 

According to the Automotive 

Distributors' Association (ODD) 

and Turkish Exporters' Association 

(TİM), the Turkish automotive and 

light commercial vehicle industry 

contracted 11.92 percent in the 

first half of the year compared to 

the previous year. The industry, 

however, recorded $16.4 billion 

in exports with a 14.5 percent rise 

compared to the same period of 

last year. 

In accordance with these 

figures, the automotive exports 

constituted 20 percent of Turkey's 

total exports in the first half, 

which exceeded $80 billion. 

Meanwhile in the first half of 

2017, automotive exports stood 

at $14.3 billion. 

The automotive sector's exports 

to the European Union and other 

European countries in the first 

half of the year increased by 15 

percent and hit $13.6 billion, 

making up 80.5 percent of 

Turkey's $16.4 billion automotive 

exports in the first half of the year. 

Europe was followed by the 

Middle East for the Turkish 

automotive industry. Car sales 

to Middle Eastern countries rose 

by 2.2 percent, reaching $805.1 

million. 

With exports over $2.4 billion, 

Germany was the biggest market 

for Turkish manufacturers. It was 

followed by Italy with $1.8 billion 

and France with $1.7 billion. The 

U.K. ranked fourth in Turkey's 

automotive exports with $1.4 

billion. Accordingly, automotive 

sales separately to Germany, 

Italy, France and the U.K. each 

exceeded $1 billion. 

In contrast, sales to the U.S. 

dropped by $159 million and 

stood at $463 million. Automotive 

sales to Iran and Denmark also 

fell by $51 million $22 million 

respectively while the decrease 

in exports to Ireland was at 

$19 million. Turkish automotive 

industry's exports to Syria also saw 

a $15 million fall in the first half of 

the year. 

In 2017, the total automotive 

production increased by 13 

percent to 1.7 million compared 

to 2016, while automobile 

production reached 1.1 million 

with an increase of 18 percent, 

providing the sector with the 

highest levels in both total 

automotive and automobile 

production, according to 

Automotive Manufacturers 

Association (OSD) data. 

With these figures, both total 

automotive and automobile 

production reached their highest 

levels in Turkey. 

In 2017, total automotive exports 

increased by 17 percent and 

automobile exports by 24 percent 

compared to the previous year. 

In this period, total exports 

amounted to 1.3 million units, 

followed by automobile exports 

with 921,000 units. Thus, 80 

percent of the total production 

in the automotive industry was 

exported. 

According to the Turkish 

Exporters Assembly (TİM) data, 

total automotive industry exports 

maintained the leading position 

in 2017 with an 18.2 percent 

share in exports. 



Trump threatens to slap 20 

percent tariff on cars from EU 

U.S. President Donald Trump 

threatened to impose a 20 

percent tariff on all European 

Union-assembled cars coming 

into the United States, a month 

after the administration launched 

an investigation into whether 

auto imports pose a national 

security threat. 

"If these Tariffs and Barriers are not 

soon broken down and removed, 

we will be placing a 20% Tariff 

on all of their cars coming into 

the U.S. Build them here!" Trump 

wrote on Twitter. 

Autos stocks fell on the news. The 

European Autos Stocks Index fell 

sharply after Trump's 20 percent 

tariff tweet and was last down 

1.25 percent. Ford Motor Co 

shares went into the red and 

were down 0.5 percent, while 

General Motors Co shares were 

off 0.3 percent. 

The U.S. Commerce Department 

is investigating whether imports 

of automobiles and auto parts 

pose a risk to national security. 

The deadline for completing the 

investigation is February, 2019, 

but Commerce Secretary Wilbur 

Ross said the department aims to 

wrap up the probe much earlier. 

At a meeting with automakers 

at the White House on May 11, 

Trump told automakers he was 

planning to impose tariffs of 20 

or 25 percent on some imported 

vehicles and sharply criticized 

Germany's automotive trade 

surplus with the United States. 

The United States currently 

imposes a 2.5 percent tariff on 

imported passenger cars from the 

European Union and a 25 percent 

tariff on imported pickup trucks. 

The EU imposes a 10 percent tariff 

on imported U.S. cars. 

The tariff proposal has drawn sharp 

condemnation from Republican 

lawmakers and business groups. 

A group representing major U.S. 

and foreign automakers has said 

it was "confident that vehicle 

imports do not pose a national 

security risk." 

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce 

noted that American auto 

production has doubled over 

the past decade, and said tariffs 

"would deal a staggering blow 

to the very industry it purports to 

protect and would threaten to 

ignite a global trade war." 

German automakers Volkswagen 

AG, Daimler AG and BMW AG 

build vehicles at plants in the 

United States. BMW is one of South 

Carolina's largest employers, with 

more than 9,000 workers in the 

state. 

The United States in 2017 

accounted for about 15 percent 

of worldwide Mercedes-Benz and 

BMW brand sales. It accounts for 

5 percent of VW brand sales and 

12 percent of Audi sales. 



Ford, Volkswagen explore 

strategic alliance 

Ford and Volkswagen are 

exploring joint development of 

future commercial vehicles in a 

possible alliance that could lead 

to cooperation in other areas. 

The companies announced the 

collaboration in a statement. They 

said that any alliance would not 

involve cross ownership stakes 

or including stock, according 

to Associated Press (AP). VW 

and Ford say an alliance would 

strengthen each company's 

competitiveness and better serve 

global customers. Ford would not 

give specifics about other areas for 

collaboration. But Ford President 

of Global Markets Jim Farley 

says in the statement that Ford 

is trying to become more fit as a 

business while winning a global 

product portfolio. Automakers 

often collaborate on big-ticket 

projects. For example, Ford has 

joined with General Motors to 

develop automatic transmissions. 

The companies say they'll provide 

updates as talks progress. 

Meanwhile, Ford - one of 

America's "Big Three" automakers 

- bought the Michigan Central 

Station building, a Beaux Arts 

gem opened in 1913 that has 

stood abandoned and decaying 

for three decades, to make it the 

centerpiece of a new urban hightech 

campus, according to AFP. 

Bill Ford Jr., the great-grandson of 

the American carmaker's founder, 

stood in front of thousands in 

Detroit, with an abandoned 

train station in the background, 

and entwined the company's 

future with that of the dilapidated 

building behind him. 

"This station is a symbol," Ford 

declared. "We're making a big bet 

on our future." 

The once proud building has 

faded, but is poised for much 

the same renewal that Detroit 

residents and businesses hope 

will mark the Motor City's postrecession, 

post-bankruptcy 

renaissance. At an event, the 

Ford Motor Company unveiled 

its lofty plans: a space of 1.2 

million square feet (111,500 

square meters) spanning several 

city blocks, where the company's 

employees, and those of partner 

firms and startups, will work on 

innovations such as autonomous 

driving and electrification. 

"Just as Detroit has had to 

reimagine what it's going to be, 

we have to do the same, because 

everything is changing," Ford 

said. 

Ford hopes to open the 

redeveloped train station in three 

to four years and make it a "magnet 

for high-tech talent," according 

to a company statement. Part of 

the company's gamble is that, by 

moving its innovations divisions 

into Detroit's urban core, Ford 

can attract the technologysavvy 

millennials it needs. The 

company's main headquarters 

will remain in nearby suburban 

Dearborn. 

The train station project is a 

matter of survival for Ford, which 

has fallen behind its Detroit rivals 

GM and Fiat Chrysler (FCA) in 

developing self-driving cars. 

GM plans to mass-produce 

autonomous cars by 2019, 

and FCA has an expanding 

partnership with Google parent 

Alphabet's Waymo autonomous 

car division. But Ford won't 

have an autonomous car for 

consumers until 2021 - a full two 

years after GM. 



Assan Hanil looks to acquire 

European firm to expand market 

Turkish automotive equipment 

manufacturer, Assan Hanil is 

looking to acquire a European 

firm over the next year as it plans 

to expand its global presence, 

company General Manager 

Atacan Güner said. 

The company, a subsidiary of 

Kibar Holding, recently organized 

a Technology Day Event. The 

event showcased Assan Hanil's 

research and development (R&D) 

investments in autonomous 

driving and other products that 

use state-of-the-art technology 

that offer special solutions to its 

customers. 

The event also shared the 

company's production, R&D 

and middle term investment 

plans related to seat systems, 

electronic components, interior 

and exterior trim components, 

electronic components and seat 

mechanisms. 

On acquiring a company in 

Europe, Güner said that doing so 

will add to Assan Hanil's existing 

product range. They also want to 

increase the turnover potential for 

customers there. 

In a media statement about 

the three-day event and the 

company's future investments, 

Güner said that driverless and 

electric vehicle technologies 

will shape the future of the 

automotive sector. He added 

that the most important players 

in the automotive sector have 

all increased investment in this 

technology. 

He also noted that they have 

already started necessary 

infrastructure studies. "We are 

investing in the future. We have 

decided to invest in Turkey 

in electronic parts and seat 

mechanisms," Güner said. 

"Product technologies for electric 

and autonomous vehicles do 

not yet exist in Turkey. With 

these products, we will transfer 

the production technologies to 

Turkey," he said. 

Güner highlighted that they 

became independent producers 

through significant R&D activities. 

"We focus on technologies like 

vehicle electronics and seat 

mechanisms that were not 

available in Turkey and mostly 

imported by all major industries 

requiring imports of up to 400- 

450 million euros," he said. 

He added that they would like 

to bring these technologies to 

the country through their South 

Korean partner Seoyon Group. 

"With the f inancial and technical 

support of Kibar Holding and 

Seoyon Group, we hope to 

reach our goals. We want to hit 

a turnover of 1 billion euros by 

2025-2026 and are looking at a 

fourfold growth over the next five 

or six years," Güner continued. "At 

the moment we have a turnover 

of 220 million euros. We are a 

major automotive sub-industry. 

We manufacture products right 

next to the customer, making the 

delivery process easier." 

Kibar Holding CEO Haluk Kayabaşı 

said Assan Hanil is a major supplier 

for the automotive sector and an 

industry leader thanks to its R&D 

activities. 

He added that Assan Hanil 

increased thae number of its R&D 

employees by 35 percent ian the 

last two years and has achieved 

significant success. 

Kayabaşı stressed that Assan Hanil 

was on its way to becoming a 

global brand thanks to its hi-tech 

automotive seats. It is also the first 

and only Turkish company that 

manufactures aircraft seats, in 

partnership with Turkish Airlines 

(THY). 

He also pointed out that the 

company is approved by giants 

like Airbus and Boeing, making 

aircraft seats that they developed 

independently at their R&D 

center. 

Kayabaşı explained that they 

made significant contributions 

to the country's economy by 

reducing aircraft seat imports. 

He said that they took their expertise 

in car seat manufacturing and 

expanded into other industries. 

The Kibar Holding CEO said that 

they developed an air suspension 

driver and passenger seat for 

buses and trucks, becoming one 

of only five companies in the 

world developing and making 

such products. 

"I believe that the agreement we 

have with Ford Otosan on ASD 

will further advance our current 

know-how. We have flexible 

production capabilities that 

can be positioned close to our 

customers' locations," he noted. 

"We are planning to invest 40 

million euros in the mid-term 

in ASD and set up a production 

facility in Europe. Feasibility 

studies are already underway. In 

ASDs, we want to raise our global 

market share to 15 percent in the 

middle term," Kayabaşı said 



American Varroc Lighting acquires 

Turkish automotive firm 

Exterior vehicle lighting specialist 

U.S.-based Varroc Lighting Sytems 

has acquired Istanbul-based 

Sa-ba Automotive, a statement 

confirmed. 

"Through Sa-ba Automotive, 

Varroc Lighting gains valuable 

manufacturing and production 

capacity with a 10,000-squaremeter 

manufacturing and 

technology center near 

Istanbul, and a new plant under 

construction in Dimitrovgrad, 

Bulgaria," the statement said. 

The terms and conditions of the 

acquisition, however, were not 

disclosed. 

It also noted that the 

20,000-square-meter Bulgaria 

plant will give Varroc Lighting 

expanded and scalable 

production capacity for its 

European customers. 

"This acquisition further 

underscores our commitment to 

a global footprint that provides 

our customers with cost-effective 

and high-quality lighting products 

and technology," said Stephane 

Vedie, president and CEO of 

Varroc Lighting Systems. 

"Turkey is a growing market, 

and our presence there helps 

us expand the services we 

can provide to our growing 

customer base, while substantially 

increasing our capabilities in small 

lighting." 

In the statement, Varroc Lighting 

said that the acquisition was the 

sixth business initiative in the past 

16 months that directly support 

the expansion of its global product 

portfolio and manufacturing and 

engineering footprint. 

It also noted its manufacturing and 

product development facilities 

based in Morocco, Brazil, Japan, 

and Poland. It recently opened an 

expanded Lighting Development 

Center in Ostrava, Czech Republic 

while expanding manufacturing 

capabilities in Vietnam. 

With the acquisition of the 

Istanbul-based company, Varroc 

Lighting now has a global 

presence in 17 countries across 

five continents. 

Auto market aims over $30B for 

exports in 2018 

Turkey's automotive industry 

exports will exceed $30 billion 

in 2018, the CEO of the Uludağ 

Automotive Industry Exporters' 

Association (OİB) said. 

"We had aimed for $29 billion [of 

exports] in 2018. If we look at the 

data for the first half of the year, 

we reached an export level of 

$16.4 billion. 

"This shows us that we will exceed 

far beyond our aim. We will 

exceed over $30 billion," Baran 

Çelik said. 

Çelik said $16.4 billion of exports 

in 2018 were an "all-time record" 

for the first half of a year. 

He said Turkish automotive 

sector's exports reached $28.5 

billion in 2017, adding that the 

sector will break a record in 2018. 

According to the Turkish Exporters' 

Assembly (TİM), automotive was 

the leading sector with $2.5 

billion exports in June. The sector's 

exports increased by 1.9 percent 

compared to the same month the 

previous year. 



Flexible period started with 

GarentaFlex 

Anadolu Group provides 

a great opportunity for 

long term car hire 

Garenta, which has attracted 

attention with its innovative works 

in the car rental sector, offers 

"GarentaFlex" rental option with 

the opportunity to return longterm 

car lessors the time they wish 

to lease without the commitment 

limit. 

Garenta, which provides car 

rental service in the Anadolu 

Group, is giving different 

experiences to its customers while 

giving direction to the sector with 

its new applications. 

Garenta's new application 

"GarentaFlex" offers great freedom 

to long-term vehicle lessors. Those 

who prefer GarentaFlex for a long 

term car rental will be able to 

return it at any time if they want 

to rent a vehicle with a minimum 

of 3 months car rental. Those who 

want to return their vehicles after 

the first 3 months; instead of the 

entire rental price, they can only 

carry out the refund by paying 2 

rents. It's enough to be informed 

only 1 month in advance. 



Automotive Industry should 

gear towards these 4 trends 

Technavio just released its analysis 

on the automotive industry. They 

say that companies should better 

stick to four emerging trends 

if they want to see a positive 

outlook for up to 2020. Here are 

the so-called trends according to 

Technavio analysts: 

• HDC combined with GPSassisted 

cruise control. 

Luxury cars are already using 

these but the other providers 

could also benefit from it. This can 

improve fuel efficiency in vehicles 

as well as control the vehicle’s 

descent for downhill paths. With 

the GPS in place, it will make it 

easier for the driver to see what’s 

up ahead. 

• Terrain profiling system. 

Jaguar has already found a way 

for their cars to identify the surface 

of the route being travelled. 

This technology is coupled with 

3D path sensing. Both of these 

systems can be used to automate 

the settings of the car based on its 

current environment, no longer 

needing manual intervention 

from the driver. The technology 

will be really helpful for drivers that 

often need to travel in locations 

that experience rains and have 

terrains that are challenging to 

navigate. 

• Shifting to the use of 

regenerative braking system. 

Regular braking systems have 

been proven to waste a lot of 

energy that could have been 

used to power up the car itself. In 

comparison, regenerative braking 

systems offer longer battery life for 

the car because the energy that 

is often lost on regular braking 

systems is instead stored back in 

the battery. These are often used 

by electrical cars but just imagine 

the energy saved by using them 

too on conventional cars. 

• Connected all-terrain driving 

systems. 

It is now possible to have vehicleto-vehicle 

communications, 

thanks to the help of dedicated 

short-range communications 

(DSRC) technology. However, the 

technology is limited because of 

compatibility issues. There is now 

a movement where governments 

and the academia are proposing 

the standardization of such types 

of transportation systems. The 

automotive industry should watch 

out for its arrival. 



25 th Automechanika Frankfurt 

2018 to host of new themes 

and REIFEN as a co-located 

show in September 

Approx. 133,000 trade visitors 

from 170 countries came to 

the last event to see the latest 

developments on offer from 

4,843 exhibitors 

Automechanika Frankfurt is the 

world's leading trade fair for the 

automotive service industry. In 

2018 the biennial trade fair will be 

celebrating its 25th anniversary 

with a host of new themes and 

REIFEN as a co-located show. 

Automechanika Frankfurt is the 

most important trade fair for 

the automotive aftermarket and 

has been organised by Messe 

Frankfurt since 1971. Approx. 

133,000 trade visitors from 170 

countries came to the last event 

to see the latest developments on 

offer from 4,843 exhibitors. 

The trade fair takes place every 

two years, alternating with the 

IAA, and will be celebrating its 

25th anniversary in 2018. The 

25th Automechanika Frankfurt 

from 11 to 15 September 2018 

will include new themes such as 

Classic Cars and REIFEN, which 

will be held simultaneously in the 

new Hall 12 as a co-located show 

for the first time. 

Automechanika: At home 

worldwide 

With 16 events in 15 countries, 

Automechanika is the world's 

most successful B2B trade fair 

brand. The brand represents 

some 20,000 exhibitors and 

600,000 trade visitors, and in 

2018 two new shows are making 

their debuts in Riyadh and 

Atlanta. Furthermore, the biennial 

Automechanika Frankfurt event is 

taking place for the 25th time this 

year. 

New at Automechanika Frankfurt 

Having previously been held in 

Essen, the REIFEN trade fair is 

now taking place for the first time 

co-located with Automechanika 

Frankfurt in Hall 12. Visit this trade 

fair duo from 11 to 15.09.2018 in 

Frankfurt am Main. 

Two trade fairs, one date 

Just as tires and the car belong 

together, so does the REIFEN 

trade fair now also have a 

permanent home alongside 

Automechanika Frankfurt. For its 

25th anniversary Automechanika 

is extending the range of themes 

it covers, bringing together the 

automotive market and the tire 

industry. 

As a visitor your ticket gives you 

entry to both trade fairs. You will 

find REIFEN in Hall 12, the newest 

hall on the Frankfurt trade fair 

site, which comes on line on time 

in September 2018. 

Automechanika and REIFEN are 

a perfect fit with more and more 

tire dealers offering automotive 

services, whilst car dealers extend 

the range of tires they offer. 



How E-Commerce Is Driving 

The Auto Industry 

The automobile industry has seen 

some major changes over the 

past decade, thanks in large part 

to the rise of social media and the 

internet 

If you aren't already leveraging 

everything e-commerce can 

offer the automotive industry in 

the Amazon Prime era, it’s vital 

that you understand how it’s 

changing traditional marketing. 

Integrating physical and online 

shopping experiences is critical, 

especially now that consumers 

are making more purchasing 

decisions online. 

Millennials are taking over as 

consumers 

By 2020, 40% of the automotive 

market will be made up of 

millennials. Their buying power 

will gain even more influence as 

that of other generations wanes. 

In short, millennials aren’t just 

buying cars. They’ll soon make up 

the majority of car buyers. 

Facebook has become an 

essential tool to connect with the 

market 

When a friend contemplated 

her next minivan, she asked 

her Facebook network for 

suggestions: “Honda Odyssey or 

Toyota Sienna?” 

Given their familiarity and comfort 

with technology, it should come 

as no surprise that millennials 

are making the most of what the 

internet has to offer – especially 

Facebook – before deciding 

what to buy. Of course, this isn’t 

unique to millennials. More and 

more people are using Facebook. 

News broke last summer that the 

social media platform was seeing 

two billion users every single 

month. 

Despite its privacy woes, Facebook 

now accounts for 14% of the total 

time people spend online, which 

helps explain why it is the most 

popular social media platform 

by far. And, although millennials 

clearly love Facebook, it also 

serves the most representative 

cross-section of the population, 

something that can’t be said 

for other platforms like Twitter, 

Snapchat and Instagram. 

What does the future of 

e-commerce look like for the auto 

industry? 

Going forward, it will be harder 

and harder for the auto industry 

to succeed without focusing on 

the growing buying power of 

millennials. This includes how 

they want to shop. For the most 

part, millennials spend a large 

percentage of their internet 

time on social channels and 

need to be engaged more than 

once as they go through their 

buyer’s journey. Therefore, auto 

companies that understand how 

to use available platforms, like 

Google Shopping, Facebook 

and dynamic remarketing, will 

thrive in the years ahead. Those 

that don’t may not survive to see 

them. 



How green are electric cars? 

The motor industry had argued 

that the 2040 targets were 

contributing to consumer fears 

over diesel cars, whose UK sales 

have slumped in the last 15 

months. Mike Hawes, the chief 

executive of the Society of Motor 

Manufacturers and Traders, said 

the strategy recognised “the 

vital role conventional engines, 

including diesel, will continue to 

play in the transition to 2040 and 

beyond”. 

He said the industry welcomed the 

“technology neutral approach” 

and the news that hybrids would 

not be banned but remained 

concerned over 2030 targets for 

ultra-low emission vehicles. “We 

need realistic ambition levels and 

measures that support industry’s 

efforts, allow manufacturers 

time to invest, innovate and sell 

competitively, and provide the 

right incentives and infrastructure 

to take the consumer with us,” he 

said. 

However, drivers’ appetite for 

diesel cars continues to wane 

in the face of environmental 

and tax concerns, despite the 

industry maintaining on Tuesday 

that for many drivers they are the 

“right choice economically and 

environmentally”. 

Diesel registrations plunged by 

nearly a quarter, to 62,260. The 

market share of diesels this year 

so far stands at 32.8%, compared 

with 44.1% in 2017. 

Total new car sales growth was 

modest, said the Society of Motor 

Manufacturers and Traders. 

The trade body notedthere had 

been an 8.5% decline in the 

previous May as sales were hit by 

vehicle excise duty changes and 

uncertainty ahead of the general 

election. So far this year, total 

sales are down by 6.8%. 



Hybrid cars to be exempt from 

2040 petrol and diesel ban 

Move angers environmental 

campaigners but is welcomed by 

automotive industry 

Petrol and diesel hybrid cars will still be permitted to be sold in 2040, the 

government has conceded, in a move that has angered environmental 

campaigners but was welcomed by the car industry. 

Ministers last year pledged to 

ban new cars powered by fossil 

fuels by 2040 but the transport 

secretary, Chris Grayling, 

confirmed on Monday that hybrid 

cars – powered by electricity 

and diesel or petrol – would be 

exempt. 

The government’s Road to Zero 

strategy to reduce car pollution 

now includes a further target 

for at least 50% of new cars to 

be ultra-low emission by 2030. 

However, it stops short of outright 

commitments for the decades 

ahead, saying it expects “all new 

cars and vans to have significant 

zero-emission capability” by 2040 

and “almost every” car and van to 

be zero-emission by 2050. 

Grayling said he believed the 

best method was to influence car 

buyers: “I want it to be easier for 

electric vehicle drivers to recharge 

than for motorists to visit a filling 

station. I want them to choose 

electric cars because they are so 

convenient.” He said a delayed 

£400m charging fund would be 

launched this summer to help 

expand infrastructure across 

the country, with hundreds of 

thousands more charging points 

on streets, in new homes and in 

workplaces. 

He said that as well as reducing 

pollution, the strategy set out a 

clear path for Britain to be a world 

leader in zero-emission transport, 

which represented “a huge 

global opportunity for industry 

and business” worth £1tn a year 

by 2030. 

However, environmental groups 

accused the government of 

weakening its commitments. 

Greenpeace said the car industry 

was “yet again being given a free 

pass” and the targets were weak 

by international standards. The 

Campaign for Better Transport said 

it was disappointing, describing 

it as “a step backwards, giving 

concessions to keeping hybrids 

on the road, which will water 

down the already inadequate 

2040 target”. 



Reinventing the Wheel: New 

Innovations in Automotive 

Tire Technology 

The system checks road conditions to distinguish among dry, wet, slush, 

fresh snow or ice, and sends that real-time information to the driver via a 

digital screen 

Tire technology may not grab 

headlines like other car technology 

but tires have a dramatic effect 

on how your car operates. As 

the only thing between your car 

and the road, tires are one of the 

most important components in a 

vehicle’s performance and safety. 

At first glance, the tires of 50 years 

ago look a lot like today’s. Radial 

tires became popular in the U.S. 

in the 1960s and are still in use 

now. But a lot is happening in the 

world of tire technology because 

innovations spurred by customer 

demand and regulations for 

greater fuel economy filter down 

to tire makers. 

Tires are part of a push to 

use technology to increase 

car safety. A system known 

as “Contact Area Information 

Sensing,” or CAIS, includes a 

sensor attached to the interior 

wall of the tire that monitors how 

it interacts with the road’s surface. 

The system checks road conditions 

to distinguish among dry, wet, 

slush, fresh snow or ice, and 

sends that real-time information 

to the driver via a digital screen. 

Tire manufacturers are also 

looking to take CAIS technology 

a step further by enabling it to 

share information with other 

vehicles similarly wired, which 

would allow your car to anticipate 

actions from the car in front. 

CAIS may eventually provide 



information on tread wear and 

work with air pressure sensors to 

communicate air pressure data. 

Low tire pressure is bad for your 

tires and your gas mileage, but 

many drivers fail to keep tires 

properly inflated. A potential 

remedy would be self-inflating 

tires, which use sensors to 

measure tire pressure and 

automatically add or decrease air 

if the pressure is too high or low. 

This technology is being used in 

heavy machinery and military 

vehicles, and may be coming 

soon to passenger cars, including 

a low-tech version with just two 

parts. 

“The tire has a ring with a little valve 

in it,” explains Marvin Bozarth, 

senior technical consultant for 

the Tire Industry Association, “and 

when the tire rolls, it squeezes 

that ring and maintains the air.” 

Bozarth said tires lose about two 

pounds of pressure a month from 

normal use, and the new systems 

would automatically make up 

that air loss. 

Perhaps the lowest-tech 

development in tires could have 

the greatest impact on driver 

safety. The “discolor tire” starts 

out looking like every other black 

tire, but when the tread wears 

down to a minimum safety level 

its surface turns a bright orange. 

Baked into the tread during the 

manufacturing process, the color 

lets you know when it’s time to 

replace your tires. 

“Eco-friendly” is a word not 

typically associated with tires, but 

sustainable alternatives to rubber 

may soon take the lead in tire 

production. Guayule ─ a desert 

shrub found in the southwestern 

U.S. ─ has been used to a limited 

degree in rubber production 

for over a century. But it could 

play a more prominent role if 

researchers can find ways to 

improve its resistance to cracking 

and heat buildup. 

Likewise, “They’re also 

experimenting with Russian 

dandelion roots, which represents 

material just like a rubber tree,” 

Bozarth says. 

Dandelion roots are much 

easier to harvest than rubber 

from trees and are better for the 

environment. “But they’re also 

looking for alternatives for rubber, 

because you can get a situation 

where rubber trees get diseased,” 

Bozarth adds. 

Easily the most visually striking 

trend to emerge of late is 

the airless tire. Impervious to 

punctures, airless tires have an 

outer tread supported by flexible 

polyurethane spokes that absorb 

the force of the road. They use less 

rubber, potentially last up to three 

times longer than traditional tires, 

and have high lateral strength 

and resistance to hydroplaning. 

Besides being more eco-friendly, 

they’re also more easily recycled. 

The downside of airless tires is a 

rougher ride at higher speeds. 

But tire makers are working on 

designs that offer a quality of ride 

similar to standard tires. 



Explore the last day 

tomorrow at the bustling 

Automechanika Shanghai 

Asia’s largest trade fair for automotive parts, accessories, equipment 

and services, Automechanika Shanghai to be held in 28 November – 1 

December 2018, Shanghai 

This year’s edition of 

Automechanika Shanghai is 

already halfway through, but 

more exciting activities are yet to 

come. Come along to experience 

the Asia’s largest trade fair for 

automotive parts, accessories, 

equipment and services. 

The 3rd Summit: Merger and 

Acquisition Strategies for Chinese 

Automotive is held today to 

discuss the strategic opportunities 

for China auto and auto parts 

enterprises under the national 

"One Belt and One Road" initiative. 

Visitors are able to enagage 

with plenty of activities such as 

demonstrations, open forums, 

new product presentations as 

well as interactive activities with 

exhibitors across the fairground. 



The REIFEN zone gathers 

renowned companies and brands 

including Active Tools, Linglong, 

Fangxing Tyre, Guizhou Tyre, and 

many more to showcase their tyre 

products with latest designs and 

materials using in passenger car, 

commerical vehicles as well as in 

industry at the zone. 

With Automechanika Shanghai’s 

concurrent fringe programme, 

visitors can enjoy a series of hot 

topics from across the entire 

supply chain through lectures, 

seminars and forums. Over 

50scheduled events will see a 

collection of high profile speakers 

discuss global market trends, 

latest technological advances, 

and future outlooks for various 

automotive industry sectors. 

Expectations for this year’s edition 

of Automechanika Shanghai are 

naturally high following last year’s 

record breaking show, hailed as 

the most successful in its history. 

Continuing to serve as Asia’s 

largest trade fair for automotive 

parts, accessories, equipment 

and services, year upon year the 

event manages to excel in terms 

of not only size and scale, but 

also with participant experience 

and product offerings. The 

upcoming 2018 edition is of 

course no exception. The show is 

scheduled to take place from 28 

November to 1 December at the 

NECC in Shanghai, and the entire 

automotive world is preparing 

for what is undoubtedly one of 

the most important dates on the 

industry’s calendar. 



Statistics & Facts on the 

Global Automotive Industry 

The global market for autonomous driving hardware components is 

expected to grow from 400 million U.S. dollars in 2015 to 40 billion U.S. 

dollars in 2030 

Global sales of passenger cars are 

forecast to hit 78.6 million vehicles 

in 2017. Along with China, the 

United States is counted among 

the largest automobile markets 

worldwide, both in terms of 

production and sales. About 6.9 

million passenger cars were sold 

to U.S. customers in 2016, and 

around four million cars were 

produced here in the same year. 

The United States became a key 

automotive market in the early 

1900s, when Ford introduced 

assembly line car production to 

mass-manufacture its Model T. 

Today, the Ford Motor Company 

still ranks among the leading 

manufacturers of passenger cars, 

its most popular passenger car 

model currently being the Ford 

Focus, which was also one of 

2016’s best selling light vehicles 

worldwide. In terms of revenue, 

Toyota, Volkswagen, and 

Daimler topped the list of major 

automobile makers in 2016, while 

the automotive supplier industry 

was dominated by Bosch, 

Continental, Denso and Magna. 

Prompted by global initiatives, 

such as the Paris Agreement, 

several countries around the 

globe are enacting stricter 

emissions controls on new vehicle 

models. As such, automakers 

are beginning to expand their 

business into the electric mobility 

sector. Germany is expected 

to lead the way with projected 

electric car production to reach 

some 1.3 million units by 2021. 

Over the next decade, Internetconnected 

car technologies and 

autonomous vehicles are set to stir 

up yet another revolution in the 

automotive sector. In 2016, some 

40 percent of U.S. respondents 

stated that they were willing to 

use fully autonomous vehicles, 

presumably because they 

consider autonomous vehicles 

to be safer than conventional 

cars. The global market for 

autonomous driving hardware 

components is expected to grow 

from 400 million U.S. dollars in 



2015 to 40 billion U.S. dollars in 

2030. 

Today’s world is unimaginable 

without automobiles. They are 

especially essential to the working 

population. Automobiles are 

complex, sophisticated machines 

which require regular mechanical 

and electrical service, replacement 

parts, paint, cleaning, stereo 

system installations and more. 

The automotive aftermarket 

provides these parts and services, 

and largely flourishes during 

economic uncertainty. After the 

economic crisis in 2008, which 

largely affected the automobile 

market, the return of stability has 

seen decline of car sales. With the 

return of economic stability after 

crisis in 2008, the car sales have 

been increasing as well - but the 

aftermarket remains strong. One 

thing is for sure, the car industry 

is facing challenging times. 



Big SUVs Register The Most 

Miles Driven, Despite Poor 

Fuel Economy 

The full-size Chevrolet Suburban is the “most driven” vehicle in the U.S. 

according to a recent study, racking up an average 14,299 miles per year 

Despite suffering from fuel 

economy that’s rated as low as a 

paltry 15/22 mpg city/highway 

(and with real world mileage 

likely to be even less-frugal) the 

full-size Chevrolet Suburban 

sport-utility vehicle was found 

to be the vehicle that racks up 

the most miles in the U.S. on an 

annual basis. Suburban owners 

register an average 14,299 miles 

per year, which is 25.1% above 

the norm for all vehicles at 11,518 

miles, and that’s for one of the 

largest “light duty” vehicles in 

production. 

In fact, among the 10 “most 

driven” models, all but one – the 

family favorite Honda Odyssey 

minivan – are SUVs, with seven of 

them being full-size behemoths, 

and most coming from domestic 

automakers. That’s according 

to an analysis of more than 



1.7 million sales of 10-year-old 

models that changed hands from 

2014 to 2017, conducted by 

our friends at the used-vehicle 

website iSeeCars.com. 

No surprises here, as the biggest 

rides on the road are often 

owned by large families and see 

extensive duty dropping off kids 

here, there, and everywhere 

on most days. With burly 

towing capacities, they're used 

to pull boats or trailers off to 

distant lakes or campsites, and 

are ideal venues in which to 

take long road trips. They’re also 

commonly used for livery and 

commercial purposes, which 

tends to pile on the miles. And it’s 

no coincidence that eight of the 

top 10 models on the most-driven 

list are also among the vehicles 

that are most likely to exceed 

200,000 miles. 

“The vehicles with the highest 

annual mileage tend to also be 

the vehicles that last the longest,” 

explains iSeeCars CEO Phong Ly. 

“People who drive their cars the 

most are likely to prolong the 

lives of their vehicles with regular 

service and maintenance because 

these vehicles may be a large part 

of their livelihood.” 

At the other end of the spectrum, 

the least driven vehicles in the 

U.S. – again no shocker – are racy 

sport coupes and convertibles 

that spend most of their days 

sheltered in a garage. The 

Chevrolet Corvette Convertible is 

the model most likely to only see 

service on an ideal afternoon, 

with the average open-air ‘Vette 

being driven a mere 4,365 miles 

per year, which is 61.8% below 

average. The closed-roof version 

comes in fourth on the leastdriven 

list. 

Among passenger cars, owners 

tend to put the most miles on the 

midsize Nissan Altima sedan at an 

average 12,495 a year, which just 

edges out the fuel-saving Toyota 

Prius hybrid at 12,279 miles. The 

Chevrolet Silverado leads the pack 

of pickup trucks with 12,514 miles 

racked up annually, followed 

closely by its corporate cousin, 

the GMC Sierra 1500 with 12,360 

on the odometer. The salesleading 

Ford F-150 came in fifth, 

only a few hundred miles behind 

the leaders. 

The 10 Most Driven Vehicles 

In The U.S. 

• Chevrolet Suburban: 14,299 

annual miles driven 

• GMC Yukon XL: 14,109 annual 

miles driven 

• Chevrolet Tahoe: 13,645 annual 

miles driven 

• Toyota Sequoia: 13,525 annual 

miles driven 

• GMC Yukon: 13,396 annual 

miles driven 

• Honda Odyssey: 13,282 annual 

miles driven 

• Honda Pilot: 13,273 annual 

miles driven 

• Cadillac Escalade ESV: 13,257 


• Ford Expedition: 13,112 annual 

miles driven 

• Toyota 4Runner: 13,019 annual 

miles driven 

The 10 Least-Driven Vehicles In 

The U.S. 

• Chevrolet Corvette Convertible: 

4,365 annual miles driven 

• Porsche 911 Convertible: 4,52 


• Porsche 911 Coupe: 4,63 


• Chevrolet Corvette Coupe: 4,93 

• Mercedes-Benz SL-Class 

Convertible: 6,217 annual miles 

driven 

• Mazda MX-5 Miata Convertible: 


• BMW 6 Series Convertible: 


• Ford Mustang Convertible: 


• BMW 6 Series Coupe: 8,895 


• Ford Mustang Coupe: 8,990: 




IoT and the Digital 

Transformation of the 

Automotive Industry 

According to recent estimates, connected cars will represent 98 percent of 

all cars sold by 2020 – a marked contrast to 2015’s reported 35 percent 

While we’re not yet piloting 

those flying cars that we’ve been 

promised since the 1960s, today’s 

automobiles are about as hightech 

as they come. Advances in IoT 

technology allow us to maintain a 

seamless connection to our digital 

lifestyle on the go, leveraging 

compatible infrastructure around 

us to help us do more, go farther, 

and travel safer. 

Today, connected cars are among 

the top IoT segments, and as 

consumer expectations continue 

to rise, the pressure is on for the 

automotive industry to meet the 

demand. 

Automotive IoT functionality 

to meet our changing needs 

According to recent estimates, 

connected cars will represent 

98 percent of all cars sold by 

2020 – a marked contrast to 

2015’s reported 35 percent. The 

movement towards self-driving 

and fully autonomous cars is a 

shift that is already making waves 

in the way vehicles are designed 

and manufactured. 

As IoT becomes more 

sophisticated and ubiquitous, car 

manufacturers are under pressure 

to innovate and to better connect 

with their customers’ needs 

to ensure they are delivering 

value. Manufacturers who 

have already completed their 

digital transformation are better 

equipped to engage with this 

data, while those that have not 

yet begun will likely fail at some 

point, if not sooner, then later. 

Why the connected factory 

will prevail 

When you look at the efficiencies 

that IoT and sensor connectivity 

provides at the manufacturing 

level, there is little doubt that new 

manufacturers and early adopters 

are reaping the most benefit. 

The advantages to a connected 

environment in automotive 

manufacturing include: 

• Greater machine efficiency 

reduces error and waste 

• Predictive analysis of machine 

function reduces downtime 

• Transparent processes optimize 

time for key personnel and factory 

management 

• Real-time visibility into all aspects 

of the manufacturing process 

eliminates silos 

• Deliver products into the market 

faster 

• Trace anomalies at a granular 

level 

• Reduce overhead, streamline 

processes 



Additionally, IoT delivers 

actionable data to all departments 

and stakeholders throughout the 

supply chain. From the finance 

department to R&D, IoT data helps 

teams understand everything 

from how processes affect the 

bottom line to how customers 

are using the end product. From 

end-to-end, new efficiencies can 

be realized simply by adopting an 

agile posture. 

Making customers happy 

With so much competition in the 

automotive realm, new products 

must deliver a mix of innovation, 

efficiency, and value. Price points 

are coming down on all but the 

most exclusive cars, and it is no 

longer a luxury to have access 

to today’s most exciting IoT 

developments. 

The more a manufacturer knows 

how customers are using their 

products, the better they will 

be able to predict what features 

should be included or improved 

in the future. This will allow 

them to deliver newer, better, 

and more exciting riffs on the 

most prominent trends and 

technologies, whatever they 

might be. 

This would only be possible if a 

company could harness the vast 

amounts of data that automotive 

IoT devices capture, making the 

connected automobile factory 

an absolute in our not-too-distant 

future. 


Driving Synergies 

11.–15.9.2018 

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Frankfurt


Turkey’s automotive exports 

prosper and account for 20 

pct of overall exports 

The automotive industry, which led Turkish exports for the last 12 years, 

has kept an upward trend over the last 28 months. 

The sector’s exports amounted to $2.8 billion in May with an increase of 

8 percent compared to the same month of last year, according to the May 

data of Uludağ Automotive Industry Exporters’ Association (OİB). 

It once again shouldered a one-fifth of Turkey’s total exports with a share of 

almost 20 percent. 

Having achieved its highest May figures so far, the sector boosted its 

exports by 17 percent in the first five months from January to May, reaching 

$13.9 billion, as it maintained leading position in Turkey’s exports. 

In terms of product groups, 

exports of automotive subindustry 

increased 24 percent to reach 

$1 billion in May. Automobile 

exports, however, decreased 

by 4 percent to $1.05 billion, 

while exports of light commercial 

vehicles rose by 9 percent to $471 

million. Meanwhile, exports of 

buses, minibuses and midibuses 

decreased by 4 percent to $149 

million during this period. 

Exports to Germany, the largest 

market in the automotive subindustry, 

rose by 23 percent, 

followed by France with 27 

percent, Romania with 47 

percent, the U.S. with 49 percent 

and Russia with 56 percent. 

Exports to France, the largest 

market in automobile exports, 

rose by 23 percent, followed by 

the U.K. with 23 percent and the 

Netherlands with 122 percent, 

while exports to Germany 

decreased by 29 percent. It was 

followed by Italy with 12 percent, 

Israel with 19 percent and Poland 

with 36 percent. 



U.K. exports, the largest market 

for light commercial vehicles, 

fell by 7 percent. Exports in the 

same product group increased 

by 37 percent in Italy, 23 percent 

in France and 26 percent in 

Germany.In the bus-minibusmidibus 

product group, exports 

to Germany - the biggest market 

for Turkish makers - experienced 

a 23 percent decrease, followed 

by France with 26 percent. At 

the same time, exports to Italy 

rose by 68 percent. Sales in the 

U.K. and Spain for this group fell 

by 35 percent and 184 percent, 

respectively. 

On a country-by-country basis, 

exports to Germany, the largest 

market, rose by 5 percent to 

$423 million, while exports to the 

second largest market, Italy, stood 

at $310 million with an increase 

of 5 percent. Meanwhile, exports 

to France, the third largest 

market for Turkey's automotive 

exports, increased by 16 percent 

to $308 million. The 23 percent 

increase in automobiles and 91 

percent increase in subindustry 

exports were also effective in this 

significant increase in France. 

Among other important markets, 

the Netherlands recorded an 

increase of 40 percent in exports, 

followed by Romania with 42 

percent and Russia with 94 

percent, while exports to the U.S. 

dropped by 50 percent. The 122 

percent increase in automobile 

and 91 percent increase in 

subindustry exports were also 

effective in this significant increase 

in the Netherlands, while the 294 

percent increase in automobile 

and 56 percent increase in subindustry 

exports were reflected on 

the exports to Russia. 

With regards to the decrease in 

exports to the U.S., on the other 

hand, a 100 percent drop in 

automobile exports was the main 

factor. Exports to the European 

Union, the largest market in the 

country group, increased by 10 

percent to $2.2 billion. The share 

of EU countries in total exports 

was 80 percent in this period. 

Among the alternative markets, 

African and CIS (Commonwealth 

of Independent States) countries 

recorded an increase of 33 

percent each, while exports to the 

Middle Eastern countries dropped 

by 17 percent in May.

Automotive Exports July 2018

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